Stethoscope chestpiece usable with a portable electronic device and related methods

Abstract

An electronic stethoscope chestpiece includes a chestpiece housing having an interior space including a cavity extending from a radially enlarged open end to a radially constricted aperture to form a stethoscope bell. The radially enlarged open end and radially constricted aperture have a common radial axis. Another part of the interior space includes a circuit board positioned above the radially constricted aperture that mechanically supports a headphone connector and a sound detector located at the radially constricted aperture. The circuit board includes a first electrical channel adapted to transmit an electrical signal corresponding to sound in the stethoscope bell to a portable electronic device that records sound and a second electrical channel adapted to allow an audio signal transmitted from the portable electronic device to pass to the headphone connector.

That which is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic stethoscope chestpiece comprising:
 a chestpiece housing having a lower body member and upper body member together defining an exterior surface and an interior space within the exterior surface; 
 the interior space in the lower body member including a cavity extending from a radially enlarged open end to a radially constricted aperture to form a stethoscope bell, the radially enlarged open end and radially constricted aperture having a common radial axis passing therethrough; 
 the interior space in the upper body member including a circuit board positioned above the radially constricted aperture and mechanically supporting a headphone connector and a sound detector located at the radially constricted aperture, the circuit board including a first electrical channel adapted to transmit an electrical signal corresponding to sound in the stethoscope bell to a portable electronic device that records sound and a second electrical channel adapted to allow an audio signal transmitted from the portable electronic device to pass to the headphone connector. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic stethoscope chestpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the exterior surface between the lower and upper body members is peripherally constricted relative to the exterior surface of the lower and upper body members so as to make the exterior surface emulate an hourglass shape in the axial direction. 
     
     
       3. The electronic stethoscope chestpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the upper body member includes a rim extending horizontally about a periphery thereof and defining an opening in the upper body member for allowing access to the interior space and the chestpiece housing includes a closure member that is removably connected to the rim to close the opening in the upper body member and preclude access to the interior space. 
     
     
       4. The electronic stethoscope chestpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the exterior surface of the upper body member includes a pair of opposed indentations horizontally spaced from the vertical axis and sized to admit a human finger. 
     
     
       5. The electronic stethoscope chestpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the lower and upper body members are integrally formed to have one-piece unitary construction. 
     
     
       6. The electronic stethoscope chestpiece of  claim 1 , further comprising screw threads formed in the lower body member circumscribing the radially enlarged open end, a diaphragm covering the radially enlarged open end, and a threaded flange mated to the lower body member via the screw threads and holding the diaphragm against the radially enlarged open end. 
     
     
       7. The electronic stethoscope chestpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the sound detector is a microphone positioned within the radially constricted aperture and the axis extends therethrough. 
     
     
       8. The electronic stethoscope chestpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the interior space is continuous throughout the upper and lower body members. 
     
     
       9. The electronic stethoscope chestpiece of  claim 1 , wherein a first end of the circuit board is mechanically supported by the radially constricted aperture and a second end of the circuit board is supported by lower body member adjacent an opening in chestpiece housing into which the headphone connector extends. 
     
     
       10. A system for performing auscultation comprising:
 a chestpiece housing having a lower body member and upper body member defining an exterior surface and an interior space, a stethoscope bell including a cavity recessed into the lower body member from a radially enlarged open end to a radially constricted aperture co-axial with the radially enlarged open end; 
 a sound detector located at the radially constricted aperture for converting sound in the cavity to an electrical auscultation signal; 
 electronic circuitry within the interior space configured to (a) transmit the auscultation signal to a portable electronic device having a processor, machine readable memory, and a display; and (b) transmit the auscultation signal from the portable electronic device to a remote speaker after it is transmitted from the sound detector to the portable electronic device and from the portable electronic device back to the electronic circuitry; and 
 program instructions for showing a graphical image of the auscultation signal on the display and storing the auscultation signal in the machine readable memory; 
 wherein the electronic circuitry includes a circuit board positioned in the interior space in the upper body member above the radially constricted aperture, the circuit board mechanically supporting a headphone connector and the sound detector, the circuit board including a first electrical channel adapted to transmit the auscultation signal from the sound detector to the portable electronic device and a second electrical channel adapted to transmit the auscultation signal from the portable electronic device to the remote speaker. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the exterior surface between the lower and upper body members is peripherally constricted relative to the exterior surface of the lower and upper body members so as to make the exterior surface emulate an hourglass shape in the axial direction. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the upper body member includes a rim extending horizontally about a periphery thereof and defining an opening in the upper body member for allowing access to the interior space and the stethoscope housing includes a closure member that is removably connected to the rim to close the opening in the upper body member and preclude access to the interior space. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the exterior surface of the upper body member includes a pair of opposed indentations horizontally spaced from the vertical axis and sized to admit a human finger. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the lower and upper body members are integrally formed to have one-piece unitary construction. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the chestpiece housing includes screw threads formed in the lower body member circumscribing the radially enlarged open end, a diaphragm covers the radially enlarged open end, and a threaded flange is mated to the lower body member via the screw threads and holds the diaphragm against the radially enlarged open end. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the sound detector is a microphone positioned within the radially constricted aperture and the axis extends therethrough. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the interior space is continuous throughout the upper and lower body members. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 10 , wherein a first end of the circuit board is mechanically supported by the radially constricted aperture and a second end of the circuit board is supported by lower body member adjacent an opening in chestpiece housing into which the headphone connector extends.